It used to be the keys to good putting were judging line and speed. Some characterized it as 90% mental, 10% stroke. Others say it’s guts and feel. Whatever your previous understanding, throw it out because the real key is SOBRIETY.
Photo courtesy of Alliancewake.com
I made this discovery on a recent trip to South Carolina. Our friends who invited us to spend a week on the Grand Strand threw in an invite to play a couple of rounds which I excitedly agreed to. The evening before round 1, we were getting to know each other, and swapping lies about our overstated golfing abilities. I learned from one playing partner that he was a good ball striker but was “three-putting every time he hit a green.” This piqued my interest and I looked forward to watching him in action.
The next day, it didn’t take long to diagnose the putting problems. Now, I enjoyed the heck out of my round and my playing partner’s company, but these guys were part of the new “Bro Culture”. I was first clued in by my riding partner’s request to play music during the round, and the crack of the first beer can on the #1 tee. I accepted the tunes but declined a cold one. Our starting time was 7:50 a.m. and I have no problem with folks drinking while they play, but I’ve always stuck to water and Gatorade because the first hint of a beer buzz kills my sense of judgement on and around the greens. Doing some back of the napkin math, our round took about four hours and they finished a beer every two or three holes, which divides out to about seven beers per round. Obviously, my tolerance is much less, but if I drank that much during a round, bad putting would be the least of my problems.
Overconsumption was clearly the source of his bad putting but the driving cultural shift is more interesting and appears to be caused by three underlying factors. Beer companies who glamorize and associate golf with drinking. Check out the Bros in this video that I’m sure you’ve seen watching any of your favorite sports.
Second is Top Golf where drinking, loud music, and golf are all normalizing the behavior. Third is the new LIV golf series where constant sensory bombardment replaces the traditional serenity and courtesy of the game. Can we solve? The putting fix is easy. The cultural shift; not so.
Just interested, but what do you drink while you play? Play well.
This week in Myrtle Beach, we had two ten-man teams going head-to-head in Ryder Cup style matches over five days. The first four were better ball and the last day was singles. Our team entered the singles down by three, went 6-4 and lost by one. I went 2-3, won my singles match, but only played my best on the last day.
I had a fabulous time and was reminded of a few lessons along the way. If you want to play your best golf, you need to compete – regularly. You may have experienced significant changes to your golf routine over the past few years, with the ability to compete being removed because COVID restrictions. I sure have. For serious golfers, competition is an essential tool for keeping their game sharp as it hones their focus and steels their nerves. I was reminded of this because I hadn’t competed in anything since February of 2020 and it showed.
Mental preparation is essential for golf competition, but there is no substitute for being exposed to regular competitive pressure. My symptoms were classic. I often stood on the first tee with my head full of mechanical and competitive thoughts, and the mix was toxic. I got off to poor starts the first four days and finally started to play like myself on the last. Oh, there were stretches of good play mixed in, but the poor starts were the common thread since I had not been under the competitive gun.
A few key takeaways:
Do compete in your regular golf game. It gets your head in the right mindset for competition.
Do pair your down-the-middle stay out of trouble players against ego-based players. Down the middle puts excessive pressure on the ego-based player.
Do not make any mechanical changes to your game before leaving on a golf trip. They won’t hold up under the pressure of playing on strange courses or in competition.
Do not take too many chances in a close match and remember, par usually wins the hole.
Giant 8-foot friend we found at Thistle
Overall, I loved this trip. The weather was glorious and the course conditions superb at all five venues. The best part was the companionship and camaraderie. I was in a condo with our team captain, and our nightly libation fueled conversations about how we wanted to match-up the next day were fascinating and great fun.
Final thought: Why do the real Ryder Cup captains require two years of preparation where we did the same thing in two hours with a couple gin and tonics?
Yesterday, I opened the season in excellent fashion. I was trying to bang the rust off my game, prepare for next week’s golf trip to Myrtle Beach, and have fun. Check. Check. Check.
After a brutally cold January, yesterday’s mid-50s temperatures were a welcome respite, however when I showed up to the course, the wind was blowing, and it was cold – but still playable. The tendency on these first rounds is to do too much and I may have stepped slightly over the line because my golf muscles are sore today. I started with a range warm-up where I hit at least three balls with every club in the bag. Normally, the first thing to come around is full swing followed by short game and that was the case. I tapped into a swing thought that I found from my last practice session in December and surprised myself at how solid I struck it. This held up through the entire round and I probably hit driver better than any round in 2021. Where I struggled was on the partial wedges and around the green because touch shots require the most practice.
On the greens, I found that it’s amazing what some consistent rug putting will do for your stroke. I had been working in my basement and was pleased with the way the practice transitioned. A little trick I found is to set up your indoor putting station with a slow putt and a fast putt. My basement has berber carpet, which is kind of bumpy and slow, and I set up a 10-footer on the surface. I also laid a yoga matt down for a fast 4-footer. Switching between the two helped to prevent my mind from becoming complacent and focusing too much on mechanics.
Back on the course, I was playing for score but also hitting shots that weren’t appropriate for the current situations, because I knew I would need them next week. Mainly, I focused on 3-woods off the tee for position, and chipping with lower lofted clubs since there is not much tall rough around the Bermuda greens in Myrtle.
To put a damper on things, another inch of the white stuff fell overnight ☹ and I’m trying to figure out how to get some live short game practice in before traveling. It’s going to be tight. On the trip, we’re playing:
I will try to capture enough pictures and information on the first three for new course reviews. If anyone has information on current playing conditions at any of these tracks, please send!
Regular readers know that I’m a big fan of simulation during practice. Exercises using this technique have been a great stroke saver because it preps your mind for real course action, gets you out of mechanical thinking mode, focuses you on shot making, and is an exceptional time saver. Either full round simulation or short game simulation is beneficial.
This morning, I had two hours to practice and devoted most of my time to a simulated 18-hole round at my home course of Blue Mash. The whole exercise took about an hour and that included time warming up with about 20 balls. The best simulations are when you are focusing intently on each shot and do not rush. Today, I took 30-60 seconds between swings, wiped down the club head and grip after every shot, took an occasional sip of water, and chatted up my neighbor a little. We were hitting from the absolute front tee on our large grass range and weren’t allowed to use drivers since the last target flag was only 230 yards out. I resorted to using 3WD on all the tee shots where I’d normally use driver and may have stumbled upon something.
Have you ever thought how much better you’d score if you left your driver in the bag most of the time? I found this out after only missing one tee shot with the 3WD, and not badly enough so that the ball went into trouble. Upon reflection, I normally hit driver on 11 of our 18 holes but only need to on five. You can certainly leave driver in the bag on the par-5s unless you think you can reach the green in two. I’m not long enough to hit any of our par-5s in two and driver only serves to occasionally get you in trouble. Just put a 3WD in play and hit one more club on the layup shot and you alleviate a lot of risk. Anyway, I hit all these 3WDs and shot a solid simulated 2-over round with 13 GIR. Very encouraging.
Tomorrow, I’m playing the course for real and am thinking of only hitting driver on the five necessary holes. This is very important because when you keep the ball in play, your mind remains engaged at a much higher level than when you fight wildness. The last two times I employed this 3WD strategy in competition, I met with very successful outcomes. I think I’ll give it a try.
Tee shot on #17 at TPC Sawgrass. Pretty tight!
On a side note, in my recent jaunt to St. Augustine, FL and TPC Sawgrass, I sampled some Jambalaya at Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille in downtown St. Augustine. It has vaulted up our Jambalaya rankings into the #2 position! (Rankings are in the left margin of the All About Golf home page). Harry’s is a New Orleans Cajun style seafood restaurant and is excellent. If you’re ever in St. Augustine, stop by for a heaping plate of this goodness!
My wife and I are in town checking out possible retirement properties, and yesterday I took a sojourn to TPC Sawgrass, the home of The Players Championship (up the coast in Ponte Vedra Beach.) I have written about this course, watched every tournament contested at this course, but never visited until yesterday. What a treat!
As I walked in from the parking lot, I noticed the venue was buzzing with practice round activity for the upcoming PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship. This is a 54-hole stroke play event contested on The Stadium and Valley courses over the next three days. I figured this was perfect to see this fabulous operation in action.
The expansiveness and grandeur of the clubhouse can be overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure where to start, so I filmed the following short video and headed to the driving range.
There were dozens of players, coaches, and a few parents working and watching at this extensive facility and I observed for about 10 minutes until I felt the urge to offer swing advice. Then it was time to move along. 😊
The driving range
Next, I completely encircled the 77,000 square foot clubhouse after first stopping on a practice green and watching some of the women contestants rolling putts. I noticed how shaved down and beautifully manicured the surface was and how quickly the balls were rolling. I started to get the yips just watching.
The Clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass
On my self-guided tour, I was looking for the 18th green but couldn’t orient myself among the maze of cart paths and signs and figured I needed help. Inside the pro-shop, after picking up some souvenirs, I asked if I could tour the course and they said that course Story Tellers were starting clubhouse and course tours at the top of every hour – perfect! That’s when I met Julia Galac. Julia is a volunteer Story Teller and gave me a history of the clubhouse, The Players Championship, and talked about the artwork adorning the main lobby. Next, we jumped in a cart and headed out to the back nine. Julia was full of amazing facts about the course, and as we stood on a hill overlooking the par-5 16th, noted that many tons of earth had been trucked in during construction and that a large piece of equipment had gotten stuck that the crew couldn’t move, so they built it into the hillside. Amazing!
On #17 tee with Julia Galac – TPC Story Teller
We toured the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes, and I became fully oriented from having watched over the years on television. The iconic 17th green seemed smaller in person than on TV. What do you think?
Par-5 16th hole
#17 green
Next to #17
Tee shot on #18
On the way in, I asked if Julia had visited the World Golf Hall of Fame, and she replied that she had and that it was, “okay.” I was planning to add that to the day’s itinerary, but it didn’t feel like a “must see” and I was getting hungry. So, I returned to the clubhouse and sat down for a delicious lunch of Crab Benedict and afterwards called it a day. The only thing that would have completed my journey would have been a round on the Stadium Course, but I didn’t have my clubs. You’re probably wondering what a tee time costs here. Well, open your checkbook, it’s a cool $600.
A big “Thank You” goes out to the staff at Sawgrass and to Julia for an awesome day. You do a great job!
Whump!! That’s the sound of the big bag of money hitting your pro shop counter. Does your golf cost more since the pandemic started? In large metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C., the prices are on the rise. Since the sport is played safely outdoors, people are gravitating to it in droves, and away from indoor recreation. Golf facilities are reacting to the market forces of supply and demand and here’s my observations on price; are they different from yours?
EQUIPMENT
On the way up. The best leading indicator is the price of new drivers. Callaway’s Epic Max and TaylorMade’s SIM2 Max will now set you back $529 (off-the-shelf). Top of the line big sticks were typically $399 pre-Covid, and as we know, golf fans have a new infatuation with Bryson DeChambeau’s big dog length off the tee. Just add “Max” to the branding and ring the register.
GREENS FEES:
Up about 20-30% across the board. This includes municipal facilities and daily fee courses. At my club, I’m playing on a 4-year membership that was pre-paid for a certain number of rounds. My cost per round, which includes a cart, came out to $47. The same membership is being offered now but requires you to play an equivalent number of rounds but in just two years and requires you to tee off one hour later. The cost per round: $60. Clearly the club is trying to fill their tee sheet with more expensive ala cart tee times and the availability at my club and the muni’s I frequent has definitely gone down. I will be rethinking my membership situation after this season is over. Interestingly, I have booked a time for Wednesday of next week at The Links of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and noticed they’ve not increased their rates over last year. It may be that the farther out you go from the big population centers, the lower the price increases.
PRACTICE BALLS:
Up 40-50% across the board. The size of a practice basket has shrunk. Initially, facilities wanted you to spend less time on the range, as it supposedly helped with social distancing. That theory has been debunked a bit, but the size of the range baskets remained the same and the cost went up. They can get it so why not? I haven’t been too affected since I spend the majority of my practice time working with my bag shag (own balls) around the practice greens, but the driving range at my club is always packed. Definitely a cash cow for the facilities.
GOLF TRAVEL:
Travel in general is more expensive with the reopening. Golf packages are still reasonable (stay and play combos) but airfares to your destination sites are going up. You can still find deals if you fly to major hubs. Lodging is on the increase as hotels, AirB&B, and VBRO operators are making up for lost revenue. Demand for leisure lodging is driving prices, but the full affect won’t be felt until business travel recovers. The biggest increase by far is the price of rental cars. Wow! I just booked a trip to Florida and the cost of a mid-size car exceeds that of round-trip airfare for two people! Hertz may just emerge from bankruptcy if this continues. Gas is a bit higher but is more subject to the price of oil on the world stage.
INSTRUCTION
Up about 25%, but why not? This is where your local pros make their money and with the influx of new players, lesson time is at a premium. Spend your golfing dollars here on a limited budget. Invest in the carpenter, then the tools. Still, you should proceed with caution and go with a recommendation on selecting a teacher or coach. I perused Golftec.com for their latest offerings, and while they don’t list price, they sell an inordinately large number of lessons inside of golf packages. The largest package is 52 lessons to be used in one year and that feels excessive. You need plenty of play to go along with your instruction, so be careful when buying lessons in bulk.
That’s my take on the new costs during Covid. Have you observed the same increases?
I played Bayside on Saturday, October 31, 2020. The course is a Jack Nicklaus design located in Selbyville, Delaware that has been open since 2005 and is the signature piece of the broader upscale Bayside living community. The course is located four miles west of Fenwick Island, DE and is convenient to players coming from either of the Delaware or Maryland beaches. Troon Golf manages the course and players familiar with other Troon facilities will notice a consistent look and feel. My experience at Bayside was a mixed bag.
Par 3, 3rd hole playing 175 yards.
I had called for a tee time three weeks prior and booked 1:24 pm. During the call, I was asked if I was a member or a visitor because different times and fees are available depending on the classification. I booked as a visitor and learned that times prior to 12:00 noon were reserved for members. However, since the course wasn’t expected to be busy, I was offered an earlier time at a rate of $117. I was looking for something less expensive and settled for $79 at 1:24 pm.
I had visited the course on Friday to familiarize myself with the offerings and observed the fabulous practice facilities.
Short game practice area at Bayside
Licking my chops to try out the range and short game area before my round, I showed up at noon yesterday to get in a good warm-up and was promptly told that there was no record of my booking. Ack! However, they had a couple slots in the 1:24 tee time, so I booked and while displeased, considered it a wash. As I was settling up, a cart attendant came into the shop and indicated I could go now if I wanted to as a single, because there was an opening. I thought if I waited until 1:24 pm and the round went long, I might not finish in the light, so I accepted his offer. In retrospect, this was a mistake because I rushed a 10-ball range warm-up and went out unprepared. I quickly found myself in the awkward position of playing cold and managing on a wet course playing cart path only. I struggled with where to hit it on an unfamiliar layout, taking pictures for this review, and being sandwiched between two foursomes. Whew!
The range at Bayside
On the first tee, the starter set me up with a yardage guide, helped me decide which tees to play, and gave me a few pointers on how to play the first hole. I selected the members tees at 6,418 yards and 71.4/139 and promptly piped a drive and ended up with a routine par on #1. That turned out to be the end of my routine day at Bayside.
Most Nicklaus courses have a familiar theme of well-placed fairway bunkers on your tee shots and Bayside was no different. What was difficult was the fairway landing spots narrowed past the bunkers on several holes, which offered less reward for clearing these obstacles. I was left to wonder where the correct landing point should be after arriving at several tee shots. I drove it well, but it was so wet out that most of my tee shots were landing even with the bunkers and didn’t roll out. What I liked was that the holes had an abundance of clear targets that fit my eye well.
The fairways were wet but in great shape with the surfaces were mowed tight and smooth all the way up to the approaches. The routing on the par-4s and 5s often had forced carries and lateral penalty areas to deal with. You need to strike your irons great to score out here, and unfortunately, I didn’t. I was left with more than a few greenside pitches off tight lies that required height – which turned out to be a tough shot. Some practice of these lies in the short game area would have been beneficial.
The putting surfaces were smooth and running medium fast despite the moisture but were not tricked up. Pete Dye loved green trickery but it’s not Nicklaus’ style, and Bayside was no exception. I liked these greens and putted with confidence. In short, I drove it well, rolled it good, but couldn’t do anything in between.
#7 at Bayside
Value (2.0 out of 5.0)
As I was struggling with playing cart path only (not the club’s fault because of the wet conditions), I thought it would have been beneficial for the carts to be equipped with GPS. Would have been a huge time saver while figuring out where to hit it, and determining club selection. For the prices charged in late October, this is not a great value. I believe it’s even more expensive in season. They can probably charge what they are getting because of high demand and to keep that exclusivity feeling for the members, but I’d like to see them adjust prices downward. Eagles Landing, in Ocean City, is more scenic and is a much better value, albeit without the driving range.
Facilities (4.0 out of 5.0)
Bayside has a great full-service club house, complete with locker rooms and restaurant. The cart barn, bag room, and indoor portion of the driving range (Overhang) are laid out well and make staging and starting a breeze. There’s a learning school known as The Hammer Academy, which I got a kick out of. And of course, the short game area has ample room to practice your chipping, pitching, and bunker play. Conditions were pristine. There is a putting green by the club house and another next to the first tee. Nicklaus clearly knows what the upscale public player likes and has delivered. Small ding because of the loud music being piped into the driving range area, but I spent about two minutes warming up, so it didn’t really matter for me. If I were seriously working on my game, I’d prefer to do without.
After my round, I chatted with some ladies sitting around the grill’s outdoor fireplace and they were thrilled to have their picture taken for a review of their course! It seemed like the facility was a good gathering spot and enhanced the sense of community.
Customer Experience (3.0 out of 5.0)
Obviously, the failure to record my tee time was a major problem for the pro shop. I would have preferred a simple apology, but they made excuses, like I might have mistakenly called Baywood Greens instead. No fellas, I knew who I was talking to. Good customer service is simply owning a mistake and moving on. Elsewhere, the cart attendants were great, as was the starter, and the on-course beverage cart visited me four or five times, which was appreciated.
I made a mistake going before my scheduled tee time. Should have used the ample practice facilities and warmed up properly, so that is on me.
Homes along the course
As I was meandering through the round, I noticed the abundance of houses and new construction on most of the holes. The par-3, 13th was out on its own with great views of the bay, which I found refreshing. But I do prefer a layout without the development.
The par-3, 13th hole. This was my favorite.
I noticed that the only COVID restrictions were on wearing masks in the clubhouse. All ball washers and bunker rakes were available, and there were regular cups and pins to be pulled. It felt safe and was great to be playing real golf again.
Picked up this little spectator on the 14th tee. He kept his distance
Overall Rating (3.0 out of 5.0)
Pro shop
Bayside is a challenging well-conditioned layout in a good location. Bring your best ball striking game or you will be in for a long day. I’d like to try it again, now that know where to hit it and hopefully wouldn’t be playing cart path only. I wouldn’t advise in season play here because of the high greens fees and medium level value. Go for an afternoon round in the Fall or Winter and enjoy.
The tough par-4, 17th hole. Yes I rinsed one on my second shot!
Just returned from a week on the Grand Strand with my wife. This was a fabulous beach vacation and not a golf getaway, but the clubs are an essential accoutrement for any journey to South Carolina, and mine were in the SUV. We arrived to some beautiful weather on Saturday, September 12 and after four straight days planted in my beach chair, I was ready for some action. On Wednesday, I headed over to Barefoot for a couple hours of practice and was feeling pretty good about my game.
Squall in Hurricane Sally
Hurricane Sally had come ashore in Alabama and was supposed to visit the area on Thursday so I set out to find a tee time for Friday. My only criteria; the course couldn’t be too far from our condo in North Myrtle Beach, and I didn’t want to spend over $100. So, I booked a 1:00 pm time at Myrtle Beach National – Kings North. This is an Arnold Palmer design and is one of my favorite tracks. The greens fee was $50 which is about the best value you’re going to find for a course of this caliber.
As scheduled, Sally ripped through the area on Thursday afternoon/evening and produced an awesome lightning show and tons of rain. On Friday, I drove to the course and found one of the nines on Kings North was under water and closed. They offered to let me play the open nine twice or rebook on South Creek. MBN has 54 holes and I had played Kings North about five times. I had replayed once on the West course and thought it rather ho-hum so I agreed to try South Creek. What a delight!
South Creek, photo from GolfAdvisor
With all the rain, we were playing cart path only. This was a day where wedge shots were exploding foot long divots and caking your legs with mud. But I loved the track. South Creek plays about 6,400 from the blues but I moved up a set on the front nine because it was so wet. You need to drive it straight out here, and I did, but couldn’t get anything going with my irons or putter and shot a four-over 40. I was by myself and following a twosome and raced around the front in 1.5 hours. When I got to the 10th tee, I found the last of three threesomes the pro shop had sent out to start on the back. A little perturbed, I asked the starter what he recommend I do and he told me to skip 10 and 11 and start my back nine on 12. I rolled up to the tee and joined the twosome that had also received the same instructions.
These two were a father and son combination, with the boy playing a practice round for a 16-18 year-old junior tournament scheduled for South Creek over the next two days. Dad was playing the whites, but the son was playing the blues, and clearly had a lot of game, so I backed up and played the blues with him. This kid was busting it past me but for some reason, joining him elevated my concentration level and I carded an even par 36 on the back. What a weird phenomenon: some kind of focus switch engaged in my mind as I played with the better player. It reminded me a similar situation a couple years back when I was out for a round on my local muni and a couple young pros from the course joined me on the first hole. They were pounding it 50 yards past me off the tee, but that same switch went off and I elevated my concentration and played great. I wonder what causes this? Has this ever happened to you?
So, I finished my round playing 10 and 11 and after ending with a birdie, realized how much fun I just had. This was primarily because I was driving the ball so well, but I loved the golf course. I also realized how straight you have to be to score, and how penal it could get. The greens fee was $43 and I was tickled pink with the great value. I will definitely be back to play South Creek at the next opportunity. You should consider adding this course to your play list next time down.
In the 20+ years that I have been traveling to the Grand Strand for golf, it’s always been in the summer. This year, I was invited to play in a February family and friends 5-day match play tournament staged across the four Barefoot courses and Grand Dunes. We had a fabulous outting. If you have not tried Myrtle Beach as a winter golf destination, it’s about time.
Many in the group of 20 players scheduled their travel to arrive and depart on the first and last days of the competition. I elected to pad a travel day on both ends which worked out well. Going into the event, I had been playing or practicing every weekend and that turned out to be a huge boon for my game. I played well the entire week and generally felt in mid-season form. The on-site day of practice beforehand was very helpful for getting accommodated to the playing conditions and green speeds.
Our accommodations were condos located in the Yacht Club and North Tower on the Barefoot property. These were huge and well-appointed three- and four-bedroom units that housed us very comfortably. I would definitely recommend them for a trip in the North Myrtle Beach area. On a previous trip, we stayed in 3-bedroom condos on the Norman course which were nice but much smaller.
Spacious living area in our Yacht Club condo.
View of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Pool area at the North Tower
Tournament format:
We were grouped as A, B, C, and D players by handicap and a blind draw assigned us into two 10-man teams for a Ryder Cup style competition. I was told that on paper, our team looked very strong. Not having played any golf with any of these fellows, I made up my mind to just go play and not try to over-analyze anything. On days 1 through 4 we would play four ball matches (you and your partner’s better ball against your opponent’s ball) at 80% of handicap. On the fifth day, we’d play 10 singles matches – again at 80% handicap. Every match had one available point, with a total of 30 points available, 15 ½ were required to win the Cup. The team captains met each morning to make pairings and select who would play whom. An excellent requirement was added to promote player interaction. You could not be paired with the same teammate more than once. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to play with a new teammate every day because I only knew four of the other 19 players going into the week. After playing with different teammates and opponents and dining with everyone on a nightly basis, I’m thankful to have met so many great guys.
Match Summaries:
Day One: Barefoot Love Course.
Weather was cloudy in the mid-50s. This was the first time I had played the Love course and I enjoyed the layout. Course was in great condition and the over-seeded greens were rolling medium speed and smooth. There was a little hidden water off some of the tee shots but the holes were nicely framed and fit my eye. I played with Ken and our opponents were Bruce and Tim. I drove it really well and struck some good irons close. Lost my concentration a bit around the greens on the back nine but Ken and I had pretty good control of the match and won 3 and 1.
The boys on the practice putting green before the matches at Love.
Day Two: Barefoot Norman Course.
Weather again cloudy in the mid-50s. Norman is the Barefoot course I’ve logged the most rounds on, but I struggled on the greens. Joe and I played Nick and Ed and we were behind all the way around. Down 2 with 4 to play, our opponents let us back into the match with some loose driving and Joe made a 4-footer for par to win the match on 18. About 2/3 of the guys went out for a nine-hole replay but not me. My new strategy was to conserve energy.
Day Three: Grand Dunes.
One of my favorite courses, Grand Dunes did not disappoint. Temps were in the low 60s and the course was in fabulous condition. I was super excited because I was stripping it on the driving range which is always a good leading indicator for my game. Greens were running faster than the previous two days at Barefoot and the day’s match was Glenn and I vs. Marc and Ed. I had my best ball striking day and carried my partner on the front nine. Glenn ordered a fast-action Bloody Mary from the cart girl on the 6th or 7th hole and his game suddenly caught fire. I relaxed afterwards and we coasted in this one 7 and 5. The last four or five holes were played in the rain which was a harbinger of things to come.
Day Four: Barefoot Dye.
It had rained heavily overnight and there was still precipitation in the area. Dye was playing cart path only and giant puddles and ruts were the order of the day in the cart paths. The paths at Dye are all sand/waste areas which made for a sloppy round. It basically rained medium hard all day. The driving range was closed beforehand and swings were obviously affected. In this match, Ron and I played Nick and Tim. Nobody hit it that well. However, my chipping and putting were getting it done and we prevailed 5 and 4. I found Dye the most difficult driving course because there are few good sight lines. You stand on the tees and confront a world of bunkers. Where to hit it? At the end of the day, our team was up 15 to 5 and needed only a half point to secure the Cup making the outcome all but decided. I guess all the pre-tournament prognostications were correct.
Day Five: Barefoot Fazio.
Temps were in the low 40s, rain was falling, and winds were building from the west. We were on the leading edge of a winter storm that dumped four inches of snow just north of us in Virginia and North Carolina. I was paired against Dan in singles and was playing with my teammate Ted who was matched up with Steve. Surprisingly, the greens were rolling fast and pure despite the weather. Dan and I got off to a rough start and halved the first hole with 7s. He took a 1-up lead on the second but I came back to take a string of holes and was three up at the turn. Ted was leading Steve 7-up and it was raining and blowing sideways. We called it quits. A couple of the boys did complete their games and a few reported that they had played well. I didn’t get the final points total, but it was clear that our side had prevailed. While we didn’t play the back nine, we had to drive in along it and I was impressed by some of the routing and conditioning. It would be great to come back and play Fazio in good weather.
Playing notes:
When in a match play format, don’t get distracted by your individual score. Several players asked me what I shot for the day and I told them that I didn’t know. It was true. If I was out of a hole, I’d put my ball in my pocket and let my partner play for our side. I think it’s beneficial to NOT play out a ball on a hole you messed up because making a bigger mess can form negative mental pictures in your head. When you have a bad hole pick up and forget about it. Your gross score doesn’t matter – it’s not the game you are playing. I get that many of the guys just want to play for practice or measure themselves, and that’s fine, but not my preference.
Play to your strength in match play and don’t alter your game based on the way your opponent(s) play. My strengths are accuracy off the tee and attacking with wedges. My weaknesses are playing from fairway bunkers, and there were a lot at these venues. I often hit a long iron or 3wd off the tee for position. If you have strengths like mine, you’ll find that ego-based players may become frustrated playing you. While they like to bomb tee shots, your accurate tee shots and their wayward driving often puts significant pressure on their game.
Around the greens, work the ground game. Courses at Myrtle Beach do not have significant greenside rough and don’t require high lofted pitch shots. Don’t get too enamored with your lofted wedges and try chipping and pitching with more straight-faced clubs. Putt when you can and keep the shots low whenever possible because roll is easier to judge distance on than flight.
Summary:
This trip was about camaraderie. We played with lots of different players which was great. We were also able to make dinner reservations every night for our party of 20 at a different restaurant. You could never pull this off on a summer trip to Myrtle Beach; it’s just too crowded.
The course conditioning was excellent everywhere. Of course, the dominant playing surfaces (Bermuda) were dormant, but they were very playable and framed the over seeded fairways nicely on all the courses.
The value was tremendous. We paid about $550 for five days of golf and four nights in excellent accommodations.
I’ve been invited to the 2021 version of this tournament and am eagerly looking forward to it. That’s it for now.
Here we are, two weeks from Christmas and the bad news is that I haven’t played since the last week of October. My season-ending November golf/beach trip never happened because of bad weather and I have that weird feeling like when you read nine chapters in a 10-chapter book and never pick it up to finish. I keep looking for a good weekend day to properly close 2019, but either work, football, or the honey-do list get in the way.
The good news is that my 2020 season start is just around the corner. I’ll kickoff in mid-February with a trip to Myrtle Beach. At a recent family gathering, I was invited to participate in a 20-man event for five days of Ryder Cup style competition. We’ll be divided into two 10-man teams and have four rounds scheduled at all the Barefoot courses along with a round at Grand Dunes. This is going to be awesome! But how do I prepare? I booked a flight in a day earlier and will try to practice/play a round, but that’s just to bang off some rust. Would definitely want some more regular activity during the winter, and was thinking about my friend Jim at The Grateful Golfer. He’s constructing an indoor hitting station. What I wouldn’t give to have a setup like that for the cold months! Jim, can I come over and swat a few?
Some of the guys playing this event come from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but others are from the Carolinas and California, so they’ll be a mix of rust and good preparation leading up to tournament time. I haven’t practiced heavily in the off season for years. The older I get, the less accepting I am of cold weather, but there’s a heated/covered range within a 20-minute drive and I might have to make use as a stop gap. I’d hate to show up in February not having swung a club for a couple months.
Any suggestions for off-season ball striking practice?
Our travel group visited Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, MI from July 22 to July 27. Until last year, I never knew of Boyne, but one of our Myrtle Beach golf partners suggested the location was to die for as far as quality golf went, so we decided to mix things up and booked it. Boyne is about as far north as you can go without crossing into the upper peninsula and is on the west coast of the state just north of Little Traverse Bay.
Because of its remote location, travel to the resort is not simple. We priced out flights and flight times from Washington and decided to drive it in two days, with a stop in Ohio. Total driving time was about 11-12 hours. Our playing partners booked flights from Phoenix that connected in Chicago and terminated in Grand Rapids. They drove the remaining 3-4 hours in a rental car. We are thinking of returning next year and will continue to research flight/rental car options.
View up the slopes from our condo
When you talk to the locals, you quickly learn that Boyne is a split season resort and caters to golfers in summer and skiers in winter. I asked the reception agent about the popularity of the various sports and seasons and learned that ski season brought in about 25% more customers than golf did. Our accommodations had the look and feel of a ski lodge. The unit was in the Heather Highlands Inn and was at the base of the mountain with a ski lift right out back. It consisted of a bedroom, a loft with two queen beds, two full baths, a fireplace, and a pull-out sofa. Perfect for four guys. The resort was running that ski lift and let resort guests ride up and down the mountain for free – which I did. You could just ride up and explore or bring your mountain bikes up and ride down the ski trails.
The resort coming down the lift
Boyne is a big resort and employs a large staff. All the employees were super friendly and accommodating. Interesting factoid: I noticed that several of the golf courses had women staffing the bag drops. A little unusual but a welcome site. I was curious so I asked them about their story and found most were working the golf clubs in summer and at the ski resorts in winter, some as instructors. In either case they handled the work with ease, and it was good to see them get the additional job opportunities. Some of the wait staff told me they loved their jobs because they could play as much golf as they wanted for free at any of the Boyne courses. Nice gigs.
Slopeside executive nine holes
The Golf Package
Boyne has 10 courses at multiple sites and I played nine rounds on seven of them over five days. We played on the Great Escape package which ran from Sunday night through Thursday night and extended it an additional two days on the Unlimited Package. The whole shebang included a welcome party on Sunday, full breakfast and dinner daily, unlimited golf every day, an $85 gift card to any of the pro shops, and a $25 casino voucher. They threw in a Wednesday scramble tournament for package players, but we skipped that because we had 36 holes booked every day. Our Arizona guys stayed through Sunday and I played Monday through Friday and left on Saturday. My total package cost was around $1,100 plus gratuities. We were eating filet, rib-eye, lobster tail every night and quality of dinner and breakfast choices was outstanding. With the food, accommodations, and unlimited golf, this was an incredible value.
Extras
There were other activities such as zip line, horseback riding, and spa treatments that you can purchase. At the end of the week, I was hurting from all the golf and could have used a spa treatment but passed. Swimming pool, nine-hole natural mini-golf, tennis, fishing, and paddle-boating are also available and are free, and many families were present to take advantage of these amenities.
Course Summary
At the end of the day, we were there to play golf and the list of offerings was impressive. At the resort center, there are four courses. Heather plays out of a clubhouse across the parking lot from the main lodge. A one mile drive gets you to the Donald Ross Golf Center where there are three courses: Arthur Hills, Donald Ross, and Moor, and an extensive practice facility.
14 miles away in Bay Harbor is Crooked Tree where we played twice on Wednesday. And 30 miles to the south in Boyne Falls are Monument and Alpine, that both play out of the same clubhouse. We played both on Thursday.
Normally, I’ll do individual reviews for one or two courses, yet my experience was almost overwhelming playing seven new tracks in such a short period of time. I just wanted to immerse and play rather than capture intricate details on each. So, enjoy some photos and I’ll provide some memories of each course but not a comprehensive review. At a high level, what impressed me most was the variety of layouts and awesome course conditions. Due to the northern climate, all courses play on Bent grass and there was rarely a blade out of place. Each of these courses is a must play but since we are a society of rankings, I’ll note them in my order of preference.
Warming up at the Donald Ross Center before a round on Arthur Hills
#1 Arthur Hills. I have a bias for this outstanding layout because we played it first and were overwhelmed with its grandiose appearance and perfect conditions. It’s a fabulous course to get your golf vacation started on. No two holes are alike, and they give you ample room to hit your driver. The par-5 #13 is the signature hole. When played from the tips this monster measures 570 yards (see short video) and you need to carry a drive 250 yards (downhill) just to reach the fairway. We played it once from the tips and once two sets up at 516 yards. It was here that we learned we should not be playing this course from the tips.
As mentioned, I played my first and last round and the beast beat me up on the later, but I played it well on day one. We observed ample wildlife as well, with many wild turkeys, and we actually saw deer in the middle of a lake on #17 feasting on aquatic plants.
Wild Turkey
Deer in the lake – #17 Arthur Hills
On #13 tee at Arthur Hills
#2 Donald Ross. This track is a collection of classic holes designed by Donald Ross and is another outstanding conditioned golf course. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of rendition type courses and I couldn’t recognize any of the holes we were playing, but the layout and routing was incredible. I was loving the holes I was playing whether the scorecard said, Pinehurst, Oakmont, or something else. Many of the holes had extensive bunkering around the greens and you need to be a solid ball striker to score on this one. My sand game got tested too.
Mike and Curtis at Crooked Tree
The range at Crooked Tree
#3 Crooked Tree. This course runs along the south shore of Little Traverse Bay. You enjoy great elevation changes on some of these holes starting with #1 where you have a huge drop on a downhill dogleg right par-4. #2 is a par-3 with a giant hump in a two-tier green. If you miss this one left you can forget about keeping a chip shot on the green with bogey not a bad score.
Jim on #7 at Crooked Tree
The par-4 16th is the signature hole and plays 389 from the tips and has tremendous lake views. The tee shot drops down a huge hill and if hit well, can leave you with a flip wedge in, but you can just as easily lose your ball if you’re not straight.
Par-4 10th at Crooked Tree
I had my best round here in the morning but ran out of gas in the afternoon which was my 6th round in three days. My ball striking began to falter as I became fatigued, but I was in love with the greens and managed to go around in only 25 putts (10 on the back nine) despite shooting an 11-over 82. Crooked Tree is a great course. My only ding was that the snack bar was small with only about five tables. It got very crowded in there as we were hit by a rain shower between rounds and several golfers came in and packed the place.
Next to the scenic #16 green at Crooked Tree
Curtis before teeing off at Monument
#4 Monument. Monument and Alpine play out of the same clubhouse and required the longest road trip from the resort area. The practice area is awesome for a 36 hole facility. They boast a large driving range, full pitching and bunker green, separate chipping green, and another green for putting only. I could definitely spend a full day here working on all aspects of my game.
Both courses start at the top of the ski slope and the cart ride is about a mile up the mountain and takes about 10 minutes. Monument was the toughest of all the courses we played with the front nine weaving its way through the mountain with tight tee shots, elevation changes, dog legs, and incredibly fast / undulating greens. One of my playing partners equated the putting experience to rolling a ball on a Pringles potato chip.
#1 tee at Monument
You get hit right out of the chute on #1 with a big downhill dogleg right par-5 with a beautiful approach to a green protected in front by a bunker framed with railroad ties.
#1 green at Monument
Oddly enough, I was the only one in the group that didn’t struggle on the greens and managed to take 29 putts with no three jacks – that’s the good news. Unfortunately, I was playing with some serious pain in my left neck / shoulder area as this was round seven in day four. It prevented me from making a full swing, but on a golf trip and you gotta play through it. Monument chewed me up and spit me out because I could not control my golf ball and I shot 90.
Curtis keeping his spine angle
#12 tee Monument
#5 Alpine. We welcomed the warmest temperatures of the golf trip Thursday afternoon as the thermometer hit 80 degrees and after nine Advil, my neck finally loosened up and I played much better on Alpine. Alpine is the sister course of Monument and was a little wider open off the tee and the greens were just as fast but were not as undulating. In the morning, everyone was a little shell shocked from our experience on Monument and found Alpine more playable / more score-able. As it was, I found Monument slightly more scenic. Both were fantastic plays.
Mike rips one at Heather
#6 Heather. Heather has won several regional and national awards for course of the year. The clubhouse was walking distance from the main lodge and our accommodations. If you feel like taking a few putts on an off day, just stroll over and enjoy.
#1 green at Heather
The pro gave us the preview and set expectations that we would see a lot of doglegs and that if we hit our tee shots at the 150 yard poles, we’d be fine.
Jim at Heather
Mike sends one on the way
Of course, I tried to cut too many of the doglegs in the bend and got in trouble off the tee. The course was in excellent condition and was another enjoyable play, but I learned after playing that I favor holes where you can see the flag from the tee. If I can’t, for some reason, it’s a struggle to concentrate on my tee shots. Along with the collection of doglegs, Heather has a stunning par-4 finishing hole with a forced carry over water.
Tee shot on the daunting 18th at Heather
I was thrilled to flush a 4-iron and carry the beast only to three-putt. Oh well. I got several pictures from the tee and from the lift going down the mountain. When we finished up, I was pleasantly surprised to see the pro come out and assist the bag staff in unloading our clubs. Excellent customers service bonus points there. Finally, the driving range at Heather is a short drive from the clubhouse and plays up the mountain on one of the slopes which I thought was an excellent use of real estate.
The range/ski slope at Heather
#7 Moor. We played Moor on Monday afternoon after Arthur Hills in the morning. The front nine presented tight tee shots with lateral penalty areas in seemingly every landing spot. Conditions on the front were good but not great. The back nine was much stronger and our mood was re-elevated as the quality of layout and conditions improved markedly. I’m not sure of the reason for the change, but I relaxed and played much better on the inward half.
Game Summary:
The consistency of course conditions made for some of the best quality golf I’ve ever experienced on a trip. All week I putted exceptionally well on the smooth fast Bent greens. The extensive work I had done in the previous month paid off. My short game was sharp, and I was particularly pleased with my bunker game. It was clear that as the week wore on, I became more fatigued and my ball striking was affected. Woods, irons, and wedges were off after my 5th round. The last four were a struggle and I only played 18 on Friday because the tank had run completely dry. On future trips, I need to find a way to conserve energy over the course of the whole week and that will probably involve only 18 per day in the early rounds. Getting old sucks 😊
What do you wish for most on a golf trip? The simple pleasures are important like good weather, comfortable accommodations and delicious food, but what I want most is to play my best. When I travel it’s usually for a week to Myrtle Beach and the trip consists of 10-12 rounds in the heat and humidity of the southeastern United States.
We’ve been going to Myrtle for the last 15-20 years and I can honestly say that I haven’t swam in a pool once, or taken a dip in the ocean. People are incredulous when they ask, “How was the beach?” and I tell them I never saw it. For me it’s a pure immersion in golf. Not sure how healthy or sane that is, but when it’s done, I’ve had my fill. These trips include a lot of physical exertion when you factor in the rounds and warm-up balls, and I am usually exhausted by the end.
With Arnold Palmer and my son at Bay Hill
As luck would have it, I’ve visited Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Doral, and even met Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill, but never played any of these world class tracks. Why? The visits were always without clubs and on a family vacation.
This year we are going to Boyne Highlands in Michigan, which will be an entirely new experience. All the courses are supposedly pure with beautiful fast Bentgrass putting surfaces. I can’t wait to test myself, and we are on an all-inclusive package that includes accommodations, 18 holes per day, replays, and a full breakfast and dinner daily. We’re expecting cooler weather because it is way up north, almost to the upper peninsula, and I’m hoping to be able to play later with the added daylight and longer because of the lower humidity.
Physical Prep:
There are a couple things that could hold me back. My elbow tendonitis is about 85% healed. I still feel it a little when I play and practice and am wondering how it will hold up under the prospective load. I’ve been doing my rehab exercises from physical therapy every day since February, and oddly enough, I’m seeing some muscle development in my forearms, but the damaged tendon is still there. Second is my age. I work out and stretch for golf every morning, and I know it’s just a number, but at 58, should I be attempting to play this much? It was a lot at 38. We’ll see how serviceable my big bottle of Advil is.
Game Prep:
The first mistake most serious players make is to try and bring a perfect swing to the trip. They get too mechanical in pre-week practice. I’ve done it numerous times and it only makes things worse. When you play upwards of 200 holes, your swing will come and go and there’s only so much you can control. You are much better off thinking “target” than mechanics. So, I’ll try and play a few 9-hole rounds after work next week in-lieu of hitting balls.
When I do practice it will be short game and it will be simulating game conditions, not raking ball after ball for chipping or putting. A good game is to take nine balls and throw them around the green. Put three in easy lies, three in medium, and three in difficult. Try to get each up and down. If you can get 5 for 9, you’re doing well. This helps steel you for pressure in new and unfamiliar conditions.
Lastly, I’ll double down on my morning workouts. The one year I went to Myrtle after exercising daily for three months prior, I felt pretty refreshed coming off the trip. Hoping for the same.
There you have it. Expect a few select course reviews upon my return. Play well!
We played Hampshire Greens, in Silver Spring, MD, on Monday, October 8, 2018. Of the nine courses in the Montgomery County Golf (MCG) rotation, this Lisa Maki design is considered the high-end play. They boast a country club level atmosphere and service level at a daily fee price point. While it’s been open since 1999, this was my first time on the course. I’ll usually play between 15-20 rounds per year on the MCG courses, but have not included Hampshire Greens as there are lower cost options that provide an equal level golf experience.
There are four sets of tees on this par-72 track and I found it a very enjoyable play. We played one up at the blues and I felt that this was a course I could score on. They put all the length into the par-5s and don’t kill you on distance or forced carries on the 3s and 4s. If the strength of your game is driving, you’re going to love the looks they give you with neatly framed fairways, superb conditioning, and fairly generous landing areas. Hit your drive solid and in the fairway, and you’re usually left with a medium to short iron in. The course’s main defense is well bunkered raised greens with a decent amount of slope and quickness to them. I found you needed an extra club hitting into these raised greens. Also, the reputation is for lightning quick speed on the putts but we found them medium fast. Perhaps it was because of our early afternoon tee time, but either way, the bentgrass surfaces were in excellent condition and rolling smooth.
Playing notes:
They had positioned some pins in difficult spots either right in front or on the sides of some greens. I left thinking it was best to just play for the middle of these greens rather than go flag hunting and missing into some tough up-and-down spots, which I did.
Pay attention to the aiming sticks they have in some of the fairways, especially on the second shot for the par-fives. Each of the fives has a similar design where the landing areas are squeezed down to very narrow corridors the closer you get to the greens. We thought this was a bit awkward and felt like the par-5 2nd hole was a little unfair. I lost my ball into the hazard left on a well struck medium iron layup. You must hit it right of the aiming stick there to keep it in play.
Marie on the 2nd tee
With these narrow corridors on the fives, for long hitters, it felt like you needed to approach with supreme accuracy, else you were taking an unnecessary risk going for the green in two. This was my only bone to pick with the layout.
Look down #2 fairway. Par-5, 563 yards
From the blue tees, none of the par-4s were short enough to try and drive close to the green, but you need to pay attention on where to land your ball. #10 is a downhill tee shot and an uphill approach. The hole is only 362 yards but everything bounces hard left to right in the fairway. You must keep your tee shot out of the fairway bunker left, which is about 220 yards from the tee, or you could be looking at a big number.
#4. Par-3, 182 yards
Facilities (3.25 out of 5.0)
This course is designed for cart play. You cannot walk. Actually, you may be permitted to walk but your greens fee includes a cart and for good reason. Some of the distances between greens and tees are huge. I like to walk but couldn’t imagine playing this one on foot.
Patio at Hampshire Greens
The course has a smallish clubhouse and grill with a patio that overlooks the fairway of the 9th hole. The 9th finishes up going away from the clubhouse, which I found a little strange, and if you need to stop, you have to backtrack for half a hole. We didn’t and just continued on to the inward half.
The driving range
They have a grass driving range but the grass tee was closed on this day and we were hitting from one of 13 driving mats. Balls are $5 for a bucket of about 40-50 and are purchased in the pro-shop.
Staging area and putting green
There is a single practice green next to the clubhouse and while you are permitted to chip, it feels a little squeezed to make this an actual short game practice area, especially when golfers are warming up their pre-round putting. I came out the day before just to practice and didn’t feel right hitting chips and pitches in, and just putted. If you want to seriously work short game, I’d seek another venue.
Value (3.5 out of 5.0)
We played on a Monday after 12 noon rate of $39.99. At this price, the value is superb because of the quality of the course. Pre-noon, the cost is $49.99 which is still good. The normal weekend morning rate is $74.99 and after noon it falls to $59.99 which brings a lot of the other area courses into play if you are budget conscious.
The quality of the golf course is the main allure. An equivalent area play for layout and conditions would be Blue Mash. I’ve picked up a 30 round membership there which works out to $47/round for afternoon weekend play and that appears to be a better value.
Lining up a tee shot on #15
Customer Experience (3.5 out of 5.0)
Monday was Columbus Day, a federal holiday. The course was busy and the bag drop guy doubled as the starter. While friendly and helpful enough when it came time to get us paired up and out on time, when I arrived he did not unload my bag. This was of no inconvenience to me. However, if they boast a country club experience, folks may expect more than one person working the bag drop on a busy holiday or weekend, and some assistance with their clubs.
The fellow manning the golf shop processed my check in with a “business as usual” attitude and while he wasn’t rude, didn’t go out of his way with a warm or friendly greeting. The guy at the snack bar provided snappy service and the hotdog with sauerkraut graded out pretty good on the taste test.
There was ample cold drinking water on the course and we were serviced several times by the beverage cart which was appreciated.
Par 4 18th. 418 yards.
Overall Rating (3.5 out of 5.0)
On this day, we played from the blue tees at 6,512 yards (71.6/129) and I carded a five-over par 77. I enjoyed my round at Hampshire Greens and wouldn’t hesitate to return, but would only play on the weekday rate. If you are a walker or are serious about practicing your short game, you may want to try out another close-by venue like Blue Mash or Northwest.
We played The Links at Gettysburg on Sunday, August 26, 2018. The course is a one hour drive from Montgomery County, MD, and a couple of miles east of the famous Pennsylvania battlefield. There are six sets of tees that make this a fun and playable experience for golfers of all abilities. We challenged ourselves from the whites which play at 6,277 yards with a rating/slope of 70.5/136.
This course is known for its beautiful scenery and excellent conditioning and did not disappoint. The architect did a great job fashioning several holes out of the local red rock and presenting them as mini-cathedrals surrounding the greens. They use a lot of hard red sand in their bunkers, which looks a bit unusual but is fine to play from. As the course is located in the rolling countryside, there are many elevation changes but none too severe, and we didn’t find any holes that were tricked up or unfair. The course is also bordered by some very large and beautiful homes, but you don’t feel as if they are on top of you.
Downhill par-3 third hole.
From the whites, most of the par-4s are under 400 yards and if you are hitting your driver well, you can score. Greens are bent-grass and were rolling medium fast and very true. There is significant mounding and sloping on the putting surfaces that make chipping and putting from above the hole ill-advised. The rough was cut at medium height and didn’t kill your chances to recover from a stray shot.
Property overlooking #7 fairway
Jim from the fairway on #7
On the 9th tee
From a ball striking perspective the front nine plays fairly easy with the reachable par-5 4th hole offering a great scoring opportunity at 457 yards. The back is more difficult. On this day, I was fortunate enough to hit #4 with a six-iron and drain my eagle putt. After going out in 1-under 35, I managed a birdie on the par-4 10th hole and followed with a couple of pars. Just when I thought I was rolling, I ran into the buzz saw at 13, 14, and 15. These three straight holes bring water into play all down the left side – on every shot. If you fight a hook, you are in trouble. My big miss is a pull hook and I had not seen one all day. But with all that water left, and a strong wind blowing in my face, #13 got in my head and I pushed a drive into trouble and carded a triple. The par-5 14th was playing 531 yards into the same wind and I left a couple more shots right but managed to salvage par. The par-3 15th finally gobbled up one of my big misses into its leftward watery grave and left me with a deflating double on the card.
Jim on the bridge at the par-3 12th
With no water left on the remaining three holes, I managed to right the ship and finish strong with a par-birdie-par run for a 2-over 74.
Playing notes:
#1 tee shot. We got a lot of conflicting advise on what to hit at this blind downhill short par 4. From the white tees, you need about 210 yards on your shot. Don’t take more else you will go through the fairway into trouble. I didn’t take enough club and left myself with a longer approach into this green that is protected in front by a steep stone wall.
#4 tee shot on the short 457 yard par 5. Hit it over the pine tree on the left, closest to the fairway. My tee shot was aimed at the middle of the fairway and I pulled it a bit only to see it roll to the extreme right side of the fairway. Everything bounces and rolls right.
#8 tee shot is a precision placement play. The hole has trouble short and an elongated fairway bunker long that abuts a rock cliff. Hit it 180 yards from the white tees and you’ll have something between 80 and 110 yards in from the middle of the fairway.
#11 tee is a 345 yard gentle dogleg right. The wind was blowing left to right and I took 3wd which was a good play. Looks like driver may be too much here.
#13-15, as previously mentioned, try to block out the water left 🙂
#18 is another short par-5 but has water in front challenging you to go for it. On the tee shot, aim slightly to the right of the pump house. There is ample room past the water to land your shot but it’s mostly rough. If you can fade one in, you can follow the contour of the fairway, which you cannot see well on your second shot. If you don’t have a good yardage, layup left for an easy wedge shot third.
18 green seen from the clubhouse
Value (4.0 out of 5.0)
The regular weekend rate to play is $79 before 11 a.m. We played between 11:00 and 2:00 p.m. when the rate drops to $59. They offer a senior discount of $44 which we played on. This includes your cart but range balls $5.00 are extra. At the regular rates, the quality of this course justifies the price. At the senior rate, the value is outstanding.
Facilities (3.5 out of 5.0)
There is a 16 station driving range with mats and grass tees. Next to the range is a small practice area for chipping and bunker work. Back by the clubhouse are two medium small putting greens. The surfaces are beautiful, but if the course gets busy, crowding might be a small issue. Behind the clubhouse and pro shop, and overlooking the 18th green, there is a grill where the attendant fixes your burgers and drinks. There was some music going softly and a bit of a festive atmosphere when we finished our round. Seemed like a great 19th hole spot.
Practice putting green
Customer Experience (4.0 out of 5.0)
There was one club attendant at the bag drop and he took our bags and loaded us promptly upon our arrival. The pro shop staff was very professional and got us checked in quickly and our starter and on course marshal were friendly and helpful, although we could have used some better advice on the first tee on how to play the hole. They tell you to hit it 160-190 yards, but take 210, as I have indicated above. There was ample cold drinking water on the course and the beverage cart hit us up two or three times during the round. We played as a twosome and while going off at 11:12 a.m. didn’t have to wait on any shots, nor did we get pushed by anyone from behind. It was a truly relaxing and delightful day on the course.
Overall Rating (3.75 out of 5.0)
The Links at Gettysburg provided excellent conditioning, value, and a fun day. The one-hour drive from the Washington D.C. area is well worth the trip. I will be back.
From 1971 to 1983, my parents brought me on five or six trips to Europe in an attempt to expose me to other lands and different cultures.
With Mom and Dad at Stonehenge in 1975
In 1975, we visited Scotland, and were in the town of Carnoustie. Tom Watson won the claret jug at Carnoustie Golf Links that year, and my Dad and I actually played the famous course while on our journey. I was 14 years of age, and was at the stage where you measured yourself against your buddie’s 9-hole scores during beginner’s summer camp. Breaking 60 was a badge of honor. In short, my level of preparation for taking on Carnoustie was excellent.
What’s cool about playing Open Championship rota courses is that the general public can get a tee time on several of the venues. I think it was probably easier back then because there were no on-line bookings. Either show up or call. Now, this was 43 years ago and I was young and have just a few memories of the round. I do recall it was not planned; we just showed up and got off. We played with rented clubs in old canvas bags. The course had a lot of tall brown fescue and sand. My Dad and I played as a twosome and were followed by four elderly ladies who admonished us at one point for playing too slow. My Dad usually played in the high 90s and was actually having a good game considering the difficulty level and our unfamiliarity with the course. He shot something like a 94. Even though I had been to golf camp, I was still a beginner and couldn’t control my golf ball. I played awful and shot a 125 and nearly took another player’s head off with a hosel rocket. I remember being pressured to play faster by the ladies and my Dad apologizing. I remember topping a lot of shots, but not feeling embarrassed. The same was probably not the case for my Dad.
I don’t remember watching Watson’s victory on television that year, but do remember Paul Lawrie’s win (Jean van de Velde’s implosion) in 1999, and of course today’s recently concluded championship. In none of the telecasts, do I recall any of the holes first hand.
So the question I’ll leave you with is: Can you shoot 125 at Carnoustie and say you actually played the course?
Drinking my first pint with Mom’s old neighbors in Cheltenham, U.K. in 1975
Our Myrtle Beach travel group played Crow Creek in Calabash, NC on Saturday, June 2, 2018. This Rick Robbins design held up extremely well during the 2018 harsh winter and we were met with immaculate playing conditions which was a pleasant surprise. Tropical Storm Alberto had soaked the area earlier in the week and every course we played on was wet and slow except for this beauty. I had an 8-iron approach on the first hole, caught it fairly well and watched it bounce hard from the front of the green to the back. The course’s website advertises V8 bentgrass greens, and these were clearly new, beautiful, and held up very well after the winter.
If you can drive it you can score here but if you are crooked, you’re going to struggle with the ample forced carries over water, troubling sucker pins, and loads of bunkers. After playing a couple holes, the course reminded me of Thistle from a conditioning standpoint, and the visuals on the tee shots, but didn’t have Thistle’s share of wooded parkland routing that they boast on on one of their nines.
Gazebo overlooking the 16th tee at Crow Creek
Value: (4.25 out of 5.0)
Crow Creek would be considered a middle end play but provides excellent bang for the buck. The combination of perfect conditions and a very reasonable replay rate ($35) make this a must play for your northern end golf packages. We got paired up with one of the local senior players and he indicated the word was out on this course. It was popular with all levels of players (five sets of tees make it playable for everyone) and that became evident when we tried unsuccessfully to book a replay in the afternoon.
Mike working on his swing
Facilities: (4.25 out of 5.0)
The course has a nice clubhouse and full service grill and is serviced by an all grass driving range and two beautiful manicured putting greens. Once on your cart, you travel under a tunnel to the other side of the road where the practice range, large chipping/putting green, and first tee all reside in a nice orderly distance from each other. You buy your range balls ($5.00 for a small bag) at the shed adjacent to the range. The layout makes sense because once golfers are staged in the cart area, they are moved to the other side of the road for warmup and front nine play which reduces cart traffic around the clubhouse. You travel back under the tunnel to play the back closer to the clubhouse.
Lou warming up his short game
Customer Experience: (3.75 out of 5.0)
We pulled up to the bag drop and there were a lot of players arriving simultaneously. The cart guys got us unloaded reasonably well but seemed a little harried trying to get everyone saddled up and across the road, with ample time to warm up. A special thanks goes to the gentleman manning the pro-shop counter in the afternoon. After our round we inquired about a replay and he had nothing for a couple hours, but made a call to Sea Trail Dan Maples course and got us on there for the reduced price replay rate of $29. This was a well appreciated effort. The only ding I’ve got is an important one. There were only two fresh water stops on the course. Every track in the Myrtle Beach area should have at least two per nine because of the frequent hot and humid conditions. So carry plenty of water with you from the start.
#1 tee
Taking on the sucker pin at the 169 yard par-3 13th.
Overall Rating: (4.0 out of 5.0)
If you are staying in the north at Sea Trail or the Glens Village, you could add this course to a package that included Thistle, and Perl East and West courses. You’d be playing some great tracks on some excellent conditions. Don’t miss out on playing Crow Creek!
183 yard par-3 16th at Crow Creek
The boys having a cold one in the grill after their round.
At the baby gator hatchery. Pawleys Plantation, SC
Your humble servant has just returned from a trip to the Grand Strand for nine rounds over eight courses, in five days. There is some great golf to be played in Myrtle Beach but some courses to be avoided at all costs. Along with playing some awesome venues, we managed to visit with as many golf shops as possible to get an accurate picture of playing conditions across the region. The following trip report has first hand accounts, photos, and snippets of knowledge picked up by conversations with key people. Hopefully you’ll find it valuable and interesting.
On Monday, we made the hour drive from our condo at Sea Trail to TPC of Myrtle Beach only to get dumped on by Tropical Storm Alberto and completely washed out after three holes. We grabbed our rain checks and went shopping. Off to a poor start.
Practice Green at Kings North. Notice the winter kill on the left.
Tuesday we ventured out to Myrtle Beach National for a round on Kings North. Much to our surprise, the greens were rolling okay on this Arnold Palmer gem, but were in very poor shape with significant browning caused by the winter freeze/kill that affected the area. After the round, the pro explained that the Champion 327 strain of Bermuda was on the Kings course and that another strain of Bermuda was on the West and South courses and they were playing much better, so we replayed on the West and had a very enjoyable round on lush conditions. Only one or two greens were in questionable shape. The North is still an awesome layout with tees and fairways in great condition, and is still playable but temper your expectations.
8th green at Glen Dornoch along the intercoastal waterway
On Wednesday we hit Glen Dornoch for 36 holes and encountered lush full greens that were rolling rather slow. Admittedly it had rained the previous two days, and we got dumped on again for about five holes but the surfaces were in good shape. We asked the pro how they managed to keep their greens in order and he indicated they had overseeded with Rye, which was essentially what we were putting on. It had filled in nicely but you could see the spotty Bermuda and our thoughts were that after another month of heat, if that Bermuda didn’t come back, they’d be in trouble when the cool season grass became stressed from the summer bake.
Back down to the southern end we went on Thursday to Willbrook Plantation. The course was wet from the previous deluge but in otherwise great condition except for a lot of clumpy grass in the fairway since they had just mowed for the first time that week. For the third straight day we were playing cart path only and getting plenty of exercise toting clubs from buggy to ball and back. The greens were in good shape and were another overseed job similar to Glen Dornoch. We had a nice round and elected to forgo a replay in order to save our strength for a head smacking big day on Friday.
The morning round on Friday was at Pawley’s Plantation and we left the condo at 5:45 a.m. to make our 7:48 tee time. We found Pawleys in great shape and we were finally allowed to ride the fairways. 17 of the 18 greens were perfect, except for the memorable island 13th, which was very stressed.
Lou and Mike sizing up the tee shot at Pawleys #13
13th at Pawleys
I love this golf course and its killer par threes and it took every ounce of skill for me to muster an 8-over 80 from the blue tees which were playing at 6,549/73.7/144. Finally the heat and humidity had returned. These were conditions were were more accustomed to playing in.
173 yards of marsh carry to the 17th at Pawleys
In the afternoon, we made our way up the coast to Murrells Inlet and TPC of Myrtle Beach to cash in our rain checks. TPC had dried out but for some reason they were still playing cart path only. This is a big golf course with wide holes loaded with tons of sand and water. The course was in excellent shape and the greens were rolling medium fast but again were primarily on overseeded Rye. You could see the Bermuda was very spotty and we were glad we were playing it now before conditions deteriorated. We were tired from the 36 holes, the heat, and playing from the cart paths in the afternoon. But there was one more day to go.
10 foot friend guarding the banks of the 17th at TPC
Our last play day was Saturday and in the morning we tried out Crow Creek in the north. Course review is coming but in short, conditions were pure on this all Bermuda track. It’s a must play.
Dennis warming up at Crow Creek
We wanted to replay in the afternoon but they were booked. They called over to the Sea Trail resort and got us a time on the Maples course right after lunch. Sea Trail has three courses and had been brutalized by the winter kill. Two of the courses, Jones, and Byrd had totally lost their Bermuda greens. Maples had lost everything but their greens because they were bentgrass. We learned that they close Maples in the summer so as not to stress their greens. The Maples tee boxes were very scratchy and there wasn’t much turf in the fairways, although you could play on it. We were just glad to be playing our final round of golf on a course next to our condo. After all the driving to the south, it was nice to sink your final putt and collapse in your bed in five minutes. Oddly enough, despite the conditions, I had my best round of the trip (3-over 75) on Maples. I suppose if you’re going to play on a scratchy course, the one thing you want is playable greens.
#18 Green on Sea Trail Jones course
We did a great job moving our venues off courses with known winter kill and generally played on very good conditions during the week. Sunday, I had a late flight and decided to visit some of the area courses for intelligence gathering. Here’s what I learned:
Oyster Bay: I adore this layout but the greens are shot. Avoid it.
The sad practice green at Oyster Bay
Big Cats in Ocean Ridge Plantation: Tigers Eye’s greens are slowly coming back. They are letting them grow out, and they looked kind of spotty and shaggy. Lions Paw is closed for two weeks and Panthers Run is closed for six weeks. Those two courses totally lost their greens. Leopard’s Chase is still reportedly playable as they have bentgrass on the surfaces, but I didn’t get a visual. I’d stay away from these courses as a package.
The Legends: According to the pro in the shop, Moreland has the Champion 327 Bermuda and lost seven greens. They are giving discounts to play it. Steer clear. Heathland is in great shape and Parkland has a few spots on a couple greens. I checked the practice green and it looked fine. Play here at your own risk.
Thistle: The practice green had a couple damage spots but I examined a green on the course and spoke to the pro who told me the greens keeper did a great job and the course was in excellent condition. I rolled a few balls on the putting green and it seemed fine. I’d play here as the layout is awesome and the operation first class.
9th at Thistle. Looking good.
Then I drove across the street to Perl (East and West courses). Their greens were Bermuda and looked immaculate. I went inside and learned that Perl had covered their greens during the winter, off and on and especially during the one week stretch that had killed everyone else. This was the key, and I had received earlier reports that both courses were in great shape. Passed the eye test, get yourself out on both of these!
Beautiful greens at Perl
Finally, I struck up a conversation with my seatmate on the flight home who was wearing a Caledonia shirt. He reportedly had played and said the course was in fabulous shape. So there you have it. If you are making your way down to the Grand Strand, I’d do it sooner rather than later when all the Rye overseed on some of these good courses is going to get stressed. If you have any other first hand accounts on Myrtle Beach course conditions, please share!
Travelers/golfers going to the Grand Strand: Red Alert! Check with the golf courses you are booked at regarding course conditions. About 3/4 of the golf courses in Myrtle Beach have lost their greens due to the abnormally cold winter, and you may not be auto re-booked by your tour operator. Tripadvisor and Golfadvisor have the gory details and I’d recommend you read the latest reviews. Courses with Bermuda putting surfaces have been hit extremely hard. Nothing is exempt, even the great courses like Grand Dunes, Thistle, Tidewater, and Oyster Bay. Most have had their greens reduced to dirt or dead grass with patches of dirt; and some have been dyed green. These conditions are deplorable and are creating significant angst among the traveling public.
We were booked on four of the Big Cats, Oyster Bay, and Thistle and have moved off all of them. Three of the Cats were reported as dead with the lone exception being Leopard’s Chase which has bent grass on the putting surfaces. Area courses with cool season grasses came through the winter in better shape, but the vast majority of courses have Bermuda, which holds up better in the summer heat, but needs to be covered in extended periods of freezing temperatures. This was not done and there is a local symposium being held for greens keepers to understand how to better handle such an emergency in the future, but that has not solved for this season’s problems. June and July could be rough in the area if the Bermuda surfaces haven’t recovered and the bent greens become stressed from heat and over play.
I’ve verified playing conditions are good to excellent on the following courses and aeration schedules will not impact play the week of Memorial Day. We are re-booked on: TPC of Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach National – Kings North, Pawleys Plantation, Willbrook, Glen Dornoch, and Crow Creek. We’re staying in Sunset Beach, NC at Sea Trail and as a result of all the re-bookings in the south, will be doing some extended driving, but at least we’ll be playing on good surfaces.
Perl East and Perl West are also reported in excellent condition but are being aerated right before Memorial Day. If anyone has information about more courses that are in good condition please share and thank you!
Play well.
On a better day at Tidewater – North Myrtle Beach, SC
Captain Single at the famous biker bar in Murrells Inlet, SC after a round at TPC
I have never been adverse to playing golf as a single. . .until the last three times out. Normally, I enjoy meeting people and have actually made some lifelong friendships on the first tee, but as luck would have it, my regular golfing partners have been quitting the game or dropping out temporarily for health reasons. I’ve been relegated to playing as a single this season and the experience is driving me nuts.
It started three weeks ago on Easter Sunday. Who golfs on Easter? Nobody, right? I figured church in the morning and a tee time right after noon on a wide open course – perfect. I showed up for my 12:06 and there were ten foursomes right in front of me playing a self-organized tournament and putting everything out. The single I got paired with was nice company but it took nearly three hours to play the front nine. He dropped out after nine and I was hardly thrilled at the prospect of following this rolling roadblock, but fortunately a threesome zipped down to the 10th tee and joined me. These three guys were hitting it all over the lot, but they kept moving which suited me fine. Round one in the books but it gets more bizarre.
Two weeks ago, at a different track, Seargant Solo was out again with a noon time. The starter paired me up with a guy and a girl in a cart and as I rolled down to the tee I noticed they only had one set of clubs. I introduced myself and the guy tells me his girlfriend has never played and was just was riding along and would hit a few shots from time to time. Then he invited me to “go ahead of them because they just wanted to lay back, relax, and drink a few beers.” It was 80 degrees, the sun was shining, and the course was packed with foursomes. I’m thinking, “Dude, you just don’t get it,” but I didn’t say anything. Then two more fellows rolled down and joined making us a happy five-some. So we played two holes uneventfully and the guy even fist bumps me after I sink a putt on #2 green. I’m thinking, “Okay, this isn’t that bad.” Then on the par-5 third, the other two guys and I hit our tee shots but the thirsty couple just sat in their cart chatting. We took off up the fairway and hit our second shots and noticed these two were still on the lady’s tee fiddling around while the foursome behind them were standing on the regular tee. He wasn’t kidding about laying back. They must have yelled at them because they came rushing back up to join us. We finished the front with just the guy hitting shots.
After three holes on the back, this twosome just got in their cart and rode off while we were putting out. They didn’t say good bye and were never to be seen again. Turns out they had polished off a twelve pack and a fifth of whiskey in the 12 holes. I was left to wonder who was their designated driver, the last person standing? It gets worse.
Single-Seat Sombrero had a 12:33 time last Sunday and was pared up with a threesome. I showed up only to find out it was U.S. Kids tournament day at the course. There were kids already on the course and the nine-holers were scheduled to go off the back nine from 2-4 p.m. Before I even left the golf shop, the pro was offering me a rain check because I might get blocked out trying to make the turn. I’m wondering why they didn’t call me or post this on the website, and I asked if I could play the front twice and he said they’d try to fit me in. Well it was 12:05 and I was ready to go and they were not running with a starter for some inexplicable reason, so I just jumped on the tee, ripped a shot and headed off by myself on foot. Soon a single in a cart was pushing me from behind, but never got close enough to join me. I felt rushed and started to miss shots and get frustrated. On the par-4 fourth hole, I was in the fairway off the tee and couldn’t see the flag stick because the last kids group had forgot to replace it. I tried to hit a ball on the center of the green and pull hooked it badly. Now I was seething. On #7 I realized I was playing so fast that if I kept my pace, I could beat the first kids group off #10 at 2:00 p.m, and proceeded to do just that. On #15 I was still feeling rushed and blew a tee shot way right. At that point, I finally caught up to the last kids tournament group and the guy in the cart caught me and I asked him to join. Funny, but as soon as he joined, I slowed way down and didn’t miss a shot the rest of the way in. It’s weird how a nice measured pace will help your game, but I was very disheartened by the whole experience.
So what’s next? I realize this charade has to end. I need to get out and play with good players on a regular basis. No more solitary Sundays for me, I’m joining a club next weekend. The course is Blue Mash in Laytonsville, MD. More to come; stay tuned!
On the tee at Oyster Bay, but playing in a foursome
Readers of Bob Rotella books know that one of his favorite axioms is, “Train it, trust it.” The idea is to practice enough so your body will naturally recall the proper swing mechanics without trying to force them. This is truly the best way to play golf, but what if you’re out on the course and feel your swing slipping away to the point that you cannot trust it? What do you do? You have two options:
Work on your mechanics and try to fix your swing
Try to change your perspective of the shots you need to hit. In essence, fool your mind into getting comfortable because a couple fairways in a row will do wonders for your confidence. Tiger does this by hitting that stinger with his three wood when he loses confidence in the driver.
Try number two. You should do it by taking any club you feel you can make an aggressive swing with to hit the fairway. Say, you usually hit driver on a 500 yard par-5. A good shot leaves you 260 yards in, but a bad swing might put you in the woods and looking at a big number. Instead, hit a four or five iron off the tee. From the fairway, you now have maybe 330 yards in. That’s still just a short par-4 which you should be able to hit with two more shots, and presto, you are right back in the hole.
There is another approach gleaned from the great mystery of why we play great one day and awful the next. It’s truly mind boggling and all golfers have tried to solve for this at one point in time. I believe it has something to do with your natural bio-rhythms. These are the brain synapses that fire and guide your central nervous system. They control your ability to concentrate, your stress level, your hand-eye coordination, your pleasure and pain receptors, and just how you feel from day to day. Example: Today I was at my local muni practicing and hit the ball quite awful. Couldn’t tell where it was going and actually thinned a couple off the hozel. The day before, I was at another course working short game and my touch was superb. Oddly enough, the good practice was preceded by a frustrating day at work and I didn’t feel like practicing and forced myself to. Yet, that had no impact on my performance. Why? Ultimately, I think the environment you’re in and comfort level has a lot to do with your performance.
Control the environment and you control your ability to relax. Relax and you play better. For me, it’s the avoidance of feeling crowded and being in tight spaces. I get tense in traffic jams, shopping malls, in long lines, and even on crowded beaches. When I’m tense on the golf course, my game goes in the crapper. Conversely, when I loosen up and relax, I perform much better. The course I practiced at yesterday is much less populated than my local muni. There’s plenty of room to spread out and work all your shots. Nobody gets in anyone’s way. I always seem to practice well there. On the other hand, my muni is the popular hangout. Today was 80 degrees and it was packed, but it’s always crowded. My practice and play are spotty at this track. I’m much more relaxed at the first course and therefore perform better. Tomorrow, I play at Rattlewood, where I’ve had considerable success. I always seem to warm up well before my round and that relaxes me. Oddly enough, the driving range was constructed with a slight upgrade from left to right for all hitting stations. Ding on whomever poured the foundation, but this silly little nuance forces me to start hitting the ball right to left during my warm-up, and that’s a ball flight I’m comfortable with.
Need more evidence? Think of some courses you play regularly. Do you routinely play well at some and hack on others? The pros do. I travel to Myrtle Beach every year and always play good on the same courses. Legends-Heathland, Thistle, Oyster Bay, and True Blue come to mind. Some of these are hard tracks, but the common factor is that I like the look of the tee shots. They’re generally a little more open, have great sight lines, and distinct targets. I feel relaxed and loose and can let the shaft out. Other courses like TPC of Myrtle, Legends-Moorland, and Heritage are super tight off the tee and I struggle with every round. I feel squeezed on the tee box and always worry about keeping it in play, and I usually don’t.
In summary, my two keys.
Trust your swing. If you can’t, find a conservative shot you can trust
Practice and play at venues where you feel relaxed
Got any others? Please share and play well!
Still relaxed at Oyster Bay, Sunset Beach, NC
Conversation about course reviews, travel, instruction,and opinion. Please join in!
And of course, the short game area has ample room to practice your chipping, pitching, and bunker play. Conditions were pristine. There is a putting green by the club house and another next to the first tee. Nicklaus clearly knows what the upscale public player likes and has delivered. Small ding because of the loud music being piped into the driving range area, but I spent about two minutes warming up, so it didn’t really matter for me. If I were seriously working on my game, I’d prefer to do without.
Travelers/golfers going to the Grand Strand: 
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